Treasure trove

[knappers]

I am up at my Mum's for the weekend, and am looking though my late father's stuff in the shed. I have found this chest with some of my Grandfather's (Mum's Dad) tools in it.

He was a carpenter and wheelwright, and my father worked for a furniture maker before he retired.
I don't know where most of them have gone, this is pretty much all there is left. There are a variety of chisels, many of with the makers names removed. A long wooden jointer plane, various saws, and a couple of spoke shaves. I don't know what has happened to all his moulding planes and jack planes. Have also picked up a nice little oil stone. And a couple of what look like corner chisels.
Once I have figured out where I can make room for it, I will be taking the chest home with me. I will take great pleasure and pride to be able to sharpen these tools up and give them life once more. Pretty much all the chisels are stamped up with my grandfather's name on the handles, and I will have a little smile whenever I pick one up to use it.

Si.

 

[markturner]

That's really cool, I have my grandfathers tool chest,he was a pattern maker, and my grandma gave me a selection of tools from the the chest 25 years ago, i did not then appreciate was was there, and some of the tools were used and lost, and the chest came to me again after her death a few years ago. I wish I had kept the whole collection intact, but at least I still have most of it. The provenance assumes even greater meaning when it is your own flesh and blood.

cheers, mark

 

[yetloh]

That's great, Jim. I have only two tools from my father, his old record No 5 which, much fettled and fitted with a Japanese laminated blade is always a great pleasure to use, and his quick release engineers vicewith a slightly bent handle from when I ran the car into it many years ago!

Jim

 

[jimi43]

That is simply wonderful Si...I am really chuffed for you!

What do you mean by the makers names being removed...have they been ground down? Why would he do that? I am sure you will have great pleasure using them.

Jim...I'm intrigued...you did that much damage to an engineer's vice...what the hell happened to the car!?

Jimi

 

[Alf]

That's fabulous, Si - I'm as jealous as a jealous thing. Some jolly useful tools I can see there, and with the added family connection. Did I mention the green tinge on my face just now? :mrgreen:

 

[paulm]

I think your grandfather would be delighted that you are taking an interest Si, and that you will make use of them, enjoy them and pass them on yourself eventually.

Cheers, Paul

 

[knappers]

When I get her home, I will take some more photos. It's just a shame that this looks like all that's left. Unfortunately, my parents moved into a smaller house shortly before my father died (his previous workshop was a huge Wesleyan chapel). I think lots of stuff didn't make the move - unfortunately, I was laid up for 6 weeks with a smashed leg 80 miles away at the time, so couldn't get involved in the clear out.

Si

 

[alan2001]

The chest is probably worth a few photos in itself. (Please?)

My brother ended up with our father's tool chest (deservedly so, after fixing it up, but I'd love to have one myself). My dad had a lot of woodworking tools but unfortunately most of them are beyond repair or missing. Dammit.

 

[adidat]

i dare not click on mr.ashily's links,

lovely spam, wonderful spam spam spam.


Mod edit: Very Wise, Chinese Junk, now hopefully sailed away into the distance.

 

[yetloh]

That is simply wonderful Si...I am really chuffed for you!

Jim...I'm intrigued...you did that much damage to an engineer's vice...what the hell happened to the car!?

Jimi

It was only the round sliding bar that was bent. One of those foot slipping off the clutch occasions if I recall correctly. It was all a long time ago - my first company a car, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta of about 1978 vintage which was my pride and joy. It left a neat bar shaped dent in the leading edge of the bonnet so I was not best pleased, to put it mildly. The dent remained there for the rest of its time with me. The car will I am sure have long since gone to that great heap of Italian iron oxide in the sky but the vice lives on.

Jim

 

[Sawyer]

Some of my grandfather's tools were passed on to me and are still in use. There's something very satisfying about using tools 'for real' with a family connection. He wasn't a professional woodworker and many of the tools were of dubious quality; but there is an old Stanley flat spokeshave which I use quite often.

An old friend of my father's, kindly passed on a box of tools owned by his own father, or grandfather. I don't know anything about the original owner apart from that he lived in Lancs. It's pretty obvious from the tools (quality, wear, sharpening, &c.) that he was a pro. woodworker of some sort. I reckon the tools are about 80 years old and some are still in regular use.

 

[condeesteso]

when you find something like that, and it is an heirloom of your family, you are very fortunate indeed. So are the tools, which would otherwise end up at a boot fair... in which case Jim would buy them (which would also be fortunate for the tools). But to stay in the family and be appreciated... nice all round.

 

[Richard T]

That's a nice lot of kit Si and really interesting to see a chest with three tills in it. Makes the evolution of modern tool boxes very clear.

 

[knappers]

I am back up at mums and have dug the chest out to take it home. I have found some rotten wood on the bottom - It has been sat elevated on a pallet, so I don't think it's a recent addition, and should be quite dry.

What should I do about it? Will I be safe to bring it back into my workshop? Should I treat it with something?

Si

 

[knappers]

I now have the chest back home in my workshop. Here's the haul :

Lots of sharpening to be done...

Si.

 

[jimi43]

WOW! That is a great selection and lots of fettling as you say...the No.45 is especially nice! More pics of that please!

Can you name the chisels too...some nice ones there and the spokeshaves look old.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Scouse]

Oh drool! What a fantastic find, you must have been like a kid at Christmas seeing what would come out next!